Fu Tingyun was awakened by the heat.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw four or five toads with pulsating white bellies squatting near her face… She screamed shrilly and scrambled up.

Startled, the toads leaped into the grass with a series of “plop plop plop” sounds.

Fu Tingyun let out a long sigh, feeling a burning pain in her throat, lightheaded and dizzy.

Hadn’t she died? How could she still have sensation?

Fu Tingyun was astonished and hastily looked around.

Above was the dazzling sun, so bright it hurt to open her eyes. The locust tree branches extending over the wall were lush and verdant, casting shadows on the tall, thick wall. Behind the slope covered with weeds and thorns was a flourishing grove of mixed trees.

This was… the back courtyard of Biyun Temple!

How did she end up here?

Was she still alive?

The thought flashed by as Fu Tingyun pinched her arm hard.

It hurt, leaving a red mark.

She took a few steps.

Her shadow moved with her.

Her nurse had said that ghosts had no physical form and would dissipate in sunlight.

Fu Tingyun stretched out her hand.

In the sunlight, her hand was almost transparently white, her pink nails gleaming with a pearly luster.

Squinting at the blazing sun, she wept with joy!

Still alive… she was truly still alive…

But this joy of surviving the ordeal lasted only a moment before being shattered by the pain in her neck.

The dim, deserted kitchen, those strong, powerful hands, that calm, indifferent gaze, the helplessness and despair of near-death… The scene before she lost consciousness flashed in her mind!

She quickly wiped away her tears and surveyed her surroundings with terror and vigilance, ears pricked.

The back courtyard was silent and empty. Swarms of buzzing insects circled the nearby brambles, and the bamboo hat she had dropped lay lonely beneath the old locust tree… As if nothing had happened, as if she could simply tuck up her skirt, climb the tree, and finally see what lay beyond the wall!

But Fu Tingyun felt hollow inside and no longer had her previous courage!

Had that man left?

Would he suddenly appear again?

Seeing she was still alive, would he try to finish the job?

With these thoughts, her hair stood on end. She grabbed the bamboo hat and ran eastward like she was fleeing…

…

Fu Tingyun was staying at Jingyue Hall, in the northeast corner of Biyun Temple’s main hall—the Daxiong Treasure Hall. It was a two-courtyard residence with its entrance, surrounded by silver-edged weeping willows. Usually empty, it was only opened when women of the Fu family came to the temple to burn incense or stay for a short while.

She didn’t use the main entrance but went to the east side alley.

The east wing room had a window facing east. Because the house’s foundation was very high, Fu Tingyun had to stand on tiptoe to barely touch the lattice covered with white Korean paper.

She knocked lightly twice, and the tightly closed window immediately opened.

“Ninth Young Lady,” the maid Lu’E poked her head out, her face full of joy. “You’ve finally returned!” She handed out a small stool. “Chen Mama came by earlier and brought several pieces of watermelon cooled in well water, saying they were to help you beat the heat.” She pulled Fu Tingyun’s arm, helping her climb in. “If Hanyan hadn’t placated her with words, she would have burst in… I was scared half to death!” She looked like she was about to cry. “If you hadn’t come back, I would have had to go look for you!”

Fu Tingyun’s head felt heavy, and her body seemed filled with lead, only moving by sheer survival instinct. Now safely back in her quarters, hearing familiar voices and seeing familiar faces, the tension in her heart eased. She felt weak all over, finding it difficult even to stand, just wanting to lie down quickly, too tired to speak. But hearing that Chen Mama had visited, she had to gather her spirits to respond: “How is Hanyan managing?”

Her voice was low and hoarse, vastly different from her usual clear and pleasant tone.

“Ninth Young Lady!” Lu’E looked at Fu Tingyun in shock, only now noticing the purplish-red marks around Fu Tingyun’s neck. Against her snow-white skin, they looked terrifyingly hideous. “What happened to you?” Looking more closely, she saw that Fu Tingyun’s face was red from the sun, her once-neat hair now disheveled, with several strands dampened by sweat and sticking to her temples. Her moon-white sleeves were dirty and messy, and her fine blue cotton skirt had a large tear, revealing the moon-white silk trousers underneath.

Fu Tingyun was all too aware of her disheveled appearance, but this was not the time to explain. Too tired to care about her dirty state, she collapsed onto the bed: “We’ll talk later!”

Lu’E came to her senses and moved forward to help remove her shoes while answering her earlier question: “Hanyan followed your instructions and sat with Fan Mama and the others in the main hall, chatting and enjoying the cool air. The mothers were talking enthusiastically, sitting there without moving, and no one gave me any orders. When Chen Mama came, Fan Mama helped say a few kind words for us!”

Fu Tingyun gave a soft “Mm” and instructed Lu’E: “Go fetch some water, I need to wash up!”

She couldn’t let others see her in this state!

Lu’E hesitated: “Fetching water might alert Chen Mama…”

“I’m already back,” Fu Tingyun said with some irritation, struggling through the pain in her throat. “Lower the bed curtains, just don’t let them see what I look like. She wouldn’t dare lift my curtains, would she?”

Lu’E thought about it.

That was true!

No matter what, the Ninth Young Lady was their master. Even if they were from the First Madam’s household, they couldn’t disregard the hierarchy.

She made a sound of acknowledgment and deftly lowered the bed curtains before leaving the room.

The room was quiet. Without the fiery sun or the shimmering heat waves, the pillow had the coolness of porcelain, and the summer bamboo mat carried the fragrance of green bamboo. Fu Tingyun sighed deeply in comfort, not wanting to move even a little finger.

But her injured throat wouldn’t leave her in peace, burning like fire.

His gaunt face, his piercing eyes, his indifferent gaze unexpectedly appeared in her mind.

It felt as if a cold wind had blown into the room.

The walls of Biyun Temple were tall and thick, yet he had scaled them with ease. In broad daylight, he had simply climbed over the wall, entered the courtyard, and nearly strangled her. Biyun Temple wasn’t as safe as she had originally thought!

The thought flashed by, and Fu Tingyun shivered anxiously.

Hurried footsteps gradually approached and stopped at the door.

“Thank you, both mothers!” Hanyan’s soft, sweet voice came through. “You can leave the water here—our young lady hasn’t been sleeping well these days and is in a rather irritable mood…”

“We know, we know!” Fan Mama’s coarse voice, though lowered, was still loud. She spoke knowingly, “The Ninth Young Lady has suffered grievances these days, naturally, she can only take it out on you. Just bear with it; that’s how it is for us servants.” Then she added, “We’ll take our leave now. I’ll inform Chen Mama—she instructed that she be told as soon as the Ninth Young Lady wakes up.”

Hanyan politely saw Fan Mama off: “Take care, Mama!”

Fu Tingyun thought it curious.

Since when had Fan Mama and Hanyan become so friendly?

Two maids carried in water, panting.

Hanyan immediately ran to the bedside.

“Ninth Young Lady!” She lifted the curtain with joy. “You’ve finally returned!” Then, like Lu’E, she froze in shock.

“Clean me up first, then we’ll talk!” Fu Tingyun struggled to sit up.

Hanyan understood that the most urgent matter was to ensure no one discovered that Fu Tingyun had been out.

She nervously helped Fu Tingyun up, and together with Lu’E, assisted her in removing her clothes, undoing her hair, and settling her into the pine wood bathtub to wash her hair.

Fu Tingyun closed her eyes in relief, but her mind was boiling like water on a fire.

Zuo Junjie, that contemptible, shameless villain! If not for his nonsense, how would she have ended up in such a state?

Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth, wishing she could curse him a few times to vent her anger.

This matter traced back to her eldest sister-in-law, Lady Zuo.

The eldest sister-in-law had married into the Fu family with the memorial tablet of Fu Tingyun’s eldest brother. For twenty years, she had been filial to her parents-in-law, harmonious with her sisters-in-law, caring for her husband’s younger sisters, and raising her adopted son. She was virtuous and admirable, praised by everyone. Not just in the Fu family, but throughout Huayin County, people spoke of this First Madam with deep respect, not daring to show the slightest disrespect in their words. So when her younger brother Zuo Junjie came to seek refuge with her after the death of both parents, despite the Fu family’s six branches living together in cramped quarters, the eldest uncle still cleared out a three-room courtyard facing south in the southeast corner of the outer court for Zuo Junjie. He provided him with monthly allowances, writing materials, and seasonal clothing, just like the eldest sister-in-law’s adopted son, and even allowed him to enter the Fu family clan school to study reading and writing under the fifth great-uncle.

This Zuo Junjie lived up to his name, becoming a Xiucai scholar at seventeen and a Juren scholar at twenty-three.

Such achievements wouldn’t be extraordinary in the flourishing literary circles of Jiangnan, but in the Northwest, where scholars were selected based on the North-South division, it was a rare feat that attracted attention.

At this point, in the eyes of outsiders, the Fu family had cultivated a talent like Zuo Junjie, gaining a reputation for virtue and appreciating talent, and should be proud of him. Zuo Junjie, having secured a promising future with the Fu family’s support and being able to restore the honor of the Zuo family, should be overwhelmingly grateful to the Fu family. But in reality, it was not so at all.

The Fu family was the most prestigious clan in Huayin, also known for their strict upbringing of daughters. Since seeking refuge with the Fu family, Zuo Junjie had wanted to marry a Fu daughter.

Being able to add kinship to their existing relationship and gain support from his wife’s family, the eldest sister-in-law naturally approved. However, Fu’s daughters never worried about marriage prospects. Although Zuo Junjie was tall and handsome, he was just a commoner without property, living on the Fu family’s charity. It was impossible to broach the subject of marriage.

But once this idea arose, it could not be suppressed, and there remained a certain expectation in her heart. Therefore, she hadn’t arranged any marriages for Zuo Junjie.

It wasn’t until Zuo Junjie became an Xiucai scholar that the eldest sister-in-law, during the grandmother’s birthday celebration, half-jokingly and half-seriously hinted at the idea.

Who was the grandmother? Having managed the household affairs of the Fu family for decades, how could she not understand the meaning behind her eldest daughter-in-law’s words?

But Zuo Junjie’s background was indeed too modest.

If it had been someone else, the matter could have been dismissed with a few pleasantries, but the one who spoke was the eldest daughter-in-law. The grandmother, considering that she must save face for her, called the eldest aunt to discuss the possibility of marrying the second cousin, born to a concubine of the first branch, to Zuo Junjie.

The second cousin was about the same age as Zuo Junjie. Although born to a concubine, she had been raised by the First Madam, educated in reading, writing, needlework, and household management, just like the eldest cousin.

The eldest aunt hesitated.

Sha’anxi Provincial Inspector Hao Jianfeng’s wife had passed away, leaving him without children. Some flatterers, hoping to act as matchmakers, had sent word to the eldest aunt, saying that Hao Jianfeng was about to be promoted to the position of Financial Commissioner of Shandong and wanted to propose marriage to the second cousin.

Although she would be a second wife, and Hao Jianfeng was more than twenty years older than the second cousin, Hao Jianfeng was a two-time successful imperial examination candidate, soon to be promoted to the third rank, and without offspring. Having such a son-in-law would benefit the Fu family, which hadn’t produced a provincial governor for generations.

The eldest aunt was inclined to agree, but at that time, the eldest uncle was serving as the Director of Waterways in the Ministry of Works, managing lakes, ponds, bridges, roads, vehicles, ships, manufacturing, contracts, and measuring instruments. He was highly regarded by the Minister of Works, Qu Yang, and it was said that he would soon be promoted to Left Vice Minister of Works. The eldest aunt, concerned about their reputation, had not yet given a definite answer.